If you’ve been waiting, now’s the time to come out to Hartley Grove, San Joaquin Valley Homes’ new-home community in Hanford. With over half of the neighborhood already sold, Hartley Grove has proven to be popular with buyers. This latest release of homesites is on a cul-de-sac street and includes some extra large lots.
At Hartley Grove, buyers can choose their plan and their homesite. “Buyer’s like the choices they have here at Hartley Grove. That’s a real part of why this neighborhood is so popular,” says Melani Trelut, the home specialist at Hartley Grove.
A new California building company, founded by a trio of housing executives toward the end of the recession, is enjoying success in the Central Valley market, a rural area that is on track to see the strongest new home markets since the downturn.
Visalia, Calif.-based San Joaquin Valley Homes (SJV Homes) is working in six neighborhoods with a total of 645 units in the Central Valley region of California. Last year, SJV Homes was the busiest home builder in Tulare County, where new home sales increased by 57%, even pulling past the national public builder Lennar. The builder also has two properties with about 200 units in Kings County, the nation’s second-fastest-growing urban county, where property values increased 13.9 percent in 2014.
A new home is the first step into the next phase of your life. Whether you’re starting a family, a new career or a fun-filled retirement, a new home in Central Valley, California can be the backdrop for years of safe, secure, heart-warming memories. To start off right, plan to follow a regular maintenance schedule for your home. Proper maintenance can extend the lives of your appliances and the structures of your home. And your regular inspections can reveal concerns before they become problems, saving you money and headaches.
On an annual basis, roughly by season:
Summer:
Inspect for insect activity outside. Any bugs outside the home can cause problems inside the home so look for any that are too close to the entries.
As you set out your patio furniture, start by washing it down with soap and water. Check for tears, splinters, or instability. A screwdriver might fix it, or a light sanding. The deck or patio might also need a repair so look for cracks or sagging boards, then give it a power wash.
Inside, clear the dryer vents by unhooking them from the machine and shaking them clear.
Clean your windows. Organize the garage (have a yard sale?)
Look for potential fire hazards like combustible fuels near heat sources (furnace or water heater). Drain the water heater to remove sediment from the tank.
Thoughtfully planned kitchens include quality Whirlpool® appliances, tiled counters, convenient snack bars and beech wood cabinetry.
The opportunity to buy the affordably priced single-family homes at Catalina in Tulare will soon be a thing of the past, as they are selling fast and there are only a few homes left. “You won’t find prices like this, on quality-built homes in a great location, again,” says Joe Leal, San Joaquin Valley Homes President.
Catalina features a neighborhood park, and shopping and schools are close by. Students from preschool through 8th grade attend the new Alpine Vista School which has all of the advantages of a state-of-the-art campus and is within walking distance. Nearby is the beautiful Mission Oak High School campus, complete with the latest technology, where 9th-12th grade students attend.
When you buy a new home from San Joaquin Valley Homes, you’re faced with an array of upgrades that will allow you to customize the purchase to your exact taste. In most cases, upgrading prior to escrow allows you to include the cost of the upgrades in your mortgage, including them in your monthly payment at a lower interest rate than other loan options.
But which upgrades are worth the additional expense? How do you pick the upgrades that you and your family will use? A few guidelines:
When you’re moving into a new home in the Central Valley, one of the first challenges you’ll face is how to decorate it. Your new layout might be pretty different from your old one and your old things might not fit very well into the new floor plan. How are you going to make yourself comfortable if you can’t have your favorite chair and footstool? How are you going to get any work done if you can’t figure out where to put your files and papers?
The solution is to get a new system going right away. This can be similar to your old one, if you felt like your old one was working, or an improvement on it, if your old one needed some work. Here are a few tips from Real Simple magazine; if your issues with your old home were small ones, you might find quick solutions here. If not, read on for a few decorating tips that will work, no matter what type of home you’re moving into.
Realtors and new home consultants with San Joaquin Valley Homes hear it all the time. “I want to buy a home, but… can I afford to buy new and is it the right time?” First-time homebuyers have a lot of questions and insecurities. As a homebuyer in the Central Valley, you can avoid costly pitfalls and buyer’s regret. If you think you can’t afford to buy a new construction home or aren’t sure what size of a home is right for you, work with an experienced local new home builder such as San Joaquin Valley Homes.
According to an article by U.S. News & World Report, every prospective homebuyer should check their credit report and score, get preapproved for a loan, create a long-term budget and budget for all the expenses of home ownership before delving in. But especially if you’ve never bought a home before, here are some tips to help you avoid the most common blunders.
It is an exciting time now that you have moved into your new home in the Central Valley. All the boxes are unpacked, and everything is in its place. Everything looks brand-new and spic and span. You want it to look like this everyday. However, no matter how hard you try, it always seems that clutter creeps back into your life. From a stack of books on the coffee table to the junk drawer in the kitchen, you seem to always have more to put away. Here are a few ways to avoid clutter in your new home.
Don’t Bring It with You
The best way to avoid clutter in your new home is to leave it behind when you move. When you are in the process of packing, you should take the time to sort through everything and get rid of items you no longer need or use. For some examples, see this article on www.webmd.com: dump duplicate items, beware nostalgia and weed out your wardrobe. Packing up everything in your home when you move forces you to look at almost everything. A good rule to follow is that if you have not used it or missed it in a year, it is time to donate it or throw it away. This will allow you to move into your new home with very little clutter.
Avoid Buying New Clutter
You know how it happens. You are at the mall, and you spot a darling knick-knack or a cute throw pillow. It might even be on sale. You should question whether it is something you.
If you’re thinking about buying your first home, chances are you’re renting now. And you might be wondering whether you’re better off buying a home or continuing to rent.
The truth is that there are advantages and downsides to both buying and renting, depending on your circumstances. For example, renting might be better if you have a fast track career and have to move every couple of years. On the other hand, your landlord can raise your rent every year when your lease is up. Buying has the advantage of building equity and improving your credit score, but it also means paying taxes and homeowner’s insurance, and of course you’re responsible for maintenance.
To help decide if this is a good time to buy your first home, ask yourself these five questions:
Local homebuilder San Joaquin Valley Homes says it has purchased 37 acres of raw land on Jensen Street between St. John’s Parkway and Houston Avenue in Visalia and plans to build 144 single-family homes there.
Grading will begin in June, and a grand opening at the new neighborhood, called Pine River Estates, is scheduled for October.
VISALIA, Calif. – May 11, 2015 – The North State Building Industry Association recently predicted that the Central Valley housing market may see the strongest new home construction and sales years since the recession hit. Local homebuilder San Joaquin Valley Homes (SJV Homes) is leading the way with six neighborhoods now open for sale with a total of 645 units in the Central Valley region.
Last year, SJV Homes was the busiest homebuilder in Tulare County, where new home sales increased by 57 percent in 2014, even pulling past the national public builder Lennar, according to the Visalia Times Delta. The homebuilder also has two properties with about 200 units in Kings County, the nation’s second-fastest-growing urban county, where property values increased 13.9 percent in 2014.
“San Joaquin Valley Homes is a small company, but we’ve been able to compete with large, national builders because we’re committed to getting local residents into homes and providing work for local contractors,” said Lissa Walker, director of marketing for Visalia-based San Joaquin Valley Homes.
“We’ll do everything we can to get people into a first home, but we realize it doesn’t end there,” she said. “Our reputation is based on our abiding commitment to stellar service—every day, with every home buyer, one home at a time.”
VISALIA, CA- May 12, 2015- The North State Building Industry Association recently predicted that the Central Valley housing market may see the strongest new home construction and sales years since the recession hit. Local homebuilder San Joaquin Valley Homes (SJV Homes) is leading the way with six neighborhoods now open for sale with a total of 645 units in the Central Valley region.
Last year, SJV Homes was the busiest homebuilder in Tulare County, where new home sales increased by 57 percent in 2014, even pulling past the national public builder Lennar, according to the Visalia Times Delta. The homebuilder also has two properties with about 200 units in Kings County, the nation’s second-fastest-growing urban county, where property values increased 13.9 percent in 2014.
“San Joaquin Valley Homes is a small company, but we’ve been able to compete with large, national builders because we’re committed to getting local residents into homes and providing work for local contractors,” said Lissa Walker, director of marketing for Visalia-based San Joaquin Valley Homes.
“We’ll do everything we can to get people into a first home, but we realize it doesn’t end there,” she said. “Our reputation is based on our abiding commitment to stellar service — every day, with every home buyer, one home at a time.”
Founded in 2013 by Joe Leal, Jim Robinson and Randy Merrill, who had overseen construction of more than 800 quality homes a year while working together for another builder, SJV Homes has grown from one home closing in its first year to 142 home closings in 2014. The company’s commitment to quality — based on the founders’ eternal question, “would our own wives be happy with it?” — has earned it deep customer loyalty and trust.
Much of SJV Homes success stems from its tight, efficient team of about 30 local staff members, most of whom grew up in the Central Valley. Without corporate hierarchy to contend with, decisions are made quickly and with customers’ best interests. The company even has its own Design Center located in the company’s main office in Visalia.
The following is a breakdown of SJV Homes’ current projects:
Tulare County
Catalina, 71 units, Tulare, Calif.
Chelsea Place, 155 units, Visalia, Calif.
San Marino, 95 units, Visalia, Calif.
Savannah, 130 units, Tulare, Calif.
Kings County
Hartley Grove, 121 units, Hanford, Calif.
Pheasant Ridge, 73 units, Corcoran, Calif.
Lisa Walker
You’ve researched California home builders, found the perfect home, and now you’re ready to move in. Avoid damaging your home’s pristine condition with these smart moving techniques:
The Heavy Stuff: Damp-Mopping, Masonite, and Furniture Gliders
The moment has arrived. You’re standing next to your moving truck, staring with apprehension at the beast inside it — a major appliance or an enormous piece of furniture with hard, pointy edges.
Whether it’s a washing machine the size of a small car or an antique cast iron stove that seem to weigh almost as much as the moving truck, the thought of moving that thing across brand new floors and walls makes you gulp nervously. Here are a few tips to help with the big objects:
Damp-mop bare floors first unless they’re already spotless. Dirt causes friction on hard surfaces, which increases the likelihood of rips, especially on vinyl floors.
Use Masonite (hard board) as a more reliable, sturdy glide. If you have are having trouble moving the heavy item on the Masonite, smaller furniture glides can be used to easily position the item on the Masonite.
Or, if Masonite doesn’t seem necessary, you can use furniture glides. Towels and rags also work well as glides on bare flooring.
Cardboard works well as a glide on carpet. Choosing the right glide means making a judgment call about how much weight each material can handle. Check out this EZ Moves Furniture Glide Kit.
Protect Your Carpets
There’s at least one wall in a room that is completely blank. The usual response is to put some artwork on it and fill it up. Rather than drawing attention to a blank wall, you want to take attention away from it and hope that no one notices that you haven’t put that much effort into that side of your room. However, it’s generally a better idea to use that space and make the most of it. If you just engage your creativity, you’ll find that there are so many things you can do with a blank wall, as indicated by this article in Huffington Post. Accent walls can make your new home more aesthetically attractive and functional. Here are a few tips to help you create one:
VISALIA, Calif. – San Joaquin Valley Homes (SJVH) sold or reserved ten new homes released during its grand opening celebration at San Marino, the local homebuilder’s sixth neighborhood in the Central Valley, on April 18th. More than 345 groups toured the models during the weekend. SJVH has released 16 lots in the 27-acre community, which has a total of 95 home sites.
Now open daily for touring are three single-family model homes, built in French Country, Tuscan and Italian styles located in highly desirable northwest Visalia at Riggin Avenue and South Shirk Road. Starting in the low $300,000s, the spacious homes range from 2,219 to 3,205 square feet with three to six bedrooms and large lots. With thoughtful embellishments and handcrafted details such as keystone entryways, full-height stone veneers, concrete tile roofs, courtyards, expansive windows, granite counters, hand-textured walls and maple cabinetry, the homes are stunning inside and out.
The homes offer features that are desirable in the Visalia market, including spacious kitchens with center islands, spacious laundry rooms and large covered patios
VISALIA, CA- (Apr 30, 2015) – San Joaquin Valley Homes (SJVH) sold or reserved ten new homes released during its grand opening celebration at San Marino, the local homebuilder’s sixth neighborhood in the Central Valley, on April 18th. More than 345 groups toured the models during the weekend. SJVH has released 16 lots in the 27-acre community, which has a total of 95 home sites.
Whether you are buying your first home in the Central Valley or bought a home in the past, you may be rusty on your real estate terms. When visiting new home communities to tour models or talking to your realtor about the Central Valley real estate market, various real estate terms will come up. According to an article by Redfin, everyone should know certain real estate terms before they start their search. If you are looking for single-family homes in Central California, you can expand your real estate vocabulary as well as your imagination with this easy guide.
Move-up buyer
A move-up buyer or step-up home buyer is someone who has owned a starter home in the past, but wants to upgrade. Move-up buyers often have equity in the home they sold, which helps them afford a larger or more expensive property. Some first-time buyers buy in the same neighborhoods by putting down a larger down payment or due to their excellent income and credit. A report by CNBC points out the real estate market depends on move-up buyers to sell their older, starter homes to younger buyers.
You have decided to move to Hanford, California. Whether it was your choice, a job transfer, or a decision your spouse made and you have simply decided to support your spouse, moving to the land of the unknown can be a little scary. If you are moving from a larger city such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, or even Fresno, you might be wondering if there will be anything for you to do in Hanford. You could be concerned you will either have to go to another city for fun or spend most of your time at home.
At San Joaquin Homes, we want you to love your community as well as your home. To help you get a feel for new homes in Hanford, CA we have looked at some of the variety of things to enjoy in the city.
